It is 14 years since Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri earned his first European long-course gold, taking the 1500m freestyle title at the 2012 Debrecen Championships as a 17-year-old.
Since then this athletic phenomenon from Carpi has won a wealth of continental, world and Olympic medals in the pool and in open water swimming.
His collection already includes six golds in European long-course Championships, four in European short-course and seven in European open water swimming Championships.
At the Paris 2024 Games he won 1500m silver and 800m bronze before finishing ninth in the open water swimming.
Aged 31, Paltrinieri is over recent injuries and eager for further success as he returns to the French capital…
Looking back now on your Paris 2024 experiences, which do you most clearly recall?
Two medals in the pool, swimming very close to my personal bests – that was the most exciting part.
What do you remember of the Olympic atmosphere and the city? Did it feel different to other competitions?
It felt different just because it’s the Olympics. The vibe was electric, the fans and the city very pumped for the event. I remember moments of high pressure – just as it should be for such an unique moment.
Did you have any bad moments in Paris 2024?
Swimming in the Seine wasn’t ideal for many reasons. The hardest thing was that we never got the chance to try the course before the event.
How different as an athlete and a person do you think you are heading into Paris 2026 compared to Paris 2024?
In the intervening time I had to have an operation on my left elbow and I also broke a finger. That’s the main difference.
But for sure I have had two more years of experience that can help me in the open water events.
How important to your impetus was winning silver in the 5km, 10km and team open water events at last year’s World Championships in Singapore?
Last year my wasn’t perfect because I came back to training in the pool very late in the season after trying to fix my elbow issues.
But being able to win three silvers at the World Championships has been proof that the work we put in was right.
How motivated are you by the prospect of winning medals at a seventh European Aquatics Championships this summer?
Very motivated. I’ve always loved to compete at the European Aquatics Championships. The level will be very high, so it will be a good test moving forward to the next Olympics.
How long do you see yourself combining pool and open water competition?
I love both situations because they’re really different from each other and they require distinct abilities. I will try to compete in both for as long as I am able.
How significant will the Paris 2026 Championships be for you in terms of a marker on the route to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics?
It will be a very important step in order to understand at what point of the preparation I am.
This Championship is exactly in middle of the Olympic cycle so it gives you the chance to change something if you realise it’s not working.
And also the European level in open water competitions is world class so it forces you to be at the top of your game.
Were you able to have friends and family watching you in Paris. If so, how special was that and will it happen again this summer?
I had friends and family coming to Paris for the Olympics so I expect some of them to come this summer as well. It’s an amazing feeling having somebody to support you very closely.
Did you have much chance to experience Paris as a city in 2024? Any particular places/scenes that resonated strongly? What will be on your city wishlist this summer?
I’ve been to Paris many times and I really think it could be one of my favourite places to visit.
I really love the art and the architecture of the city, so I will probably just wander around the city visiting local shops and trying good food!
Open water swimming will take place at Paris 2026 from August 4 to 8, and the swimming programme will run from August 10 to 16.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
